two weekends ago i was riding with a buddy and it was pretty icy out, some kid bailed in front of me so i threw a tight carve to avoid him and ended up slipping out and smashing my right knee cap into a nice ice patch. sharp pain shot through my knee and i called it a day. walking and daily activities dont cause any pain, shit, i can even run on it and theres no pain or inflammation. i do however get pain when i kneel on it or when i bend it all the way. all signs point to a torn meniscus but the pain isnt too bad so im thinking it might just be bruised or something. anyone had this happen to them? i ordered a brace today so ill be riding again soon, just curious to see if theres anyone out there with similar issues

Like everyone else said... to be sure go see a doctor instead of asking strangers on the interwebz for advice.

That being said... meniscus tears don't generally happen from impacts because it is "inside" your knee under your knee cap (usually it is a "twisting" or "buckling" of the knee) Also if it tears, there is typically a lot of inflammation/swelling.